Confederate Vine, Confederate-Vine, Coral Bells, Coral Creeper, Coral Vine, Coralita, Corallita,

The name of the genus is of uncertain origin, after some it should come from the Greek “anti” = against and “gόnia” = angle, with reference to the angular stems; the name of the species is the combination of the Greek terms “leptos” = thin and “pus, podόs” = foot, with reference to the thin stems. Not a lot of plants are completely edible but this is a unique feature the coral vine has. Since it is food to a lot of people it has traversed the world. In some regions it is cultivated in landscapes as an ornamental since it has showy flowers. The fruit and seeds are eaten and spread by a wide range of animals such as pigs, raccoons and birds. The tubers will re-sprout if the plant is cut back or damaged by frost.

Coral Vine Facts

Plant description

Coral Vine is a fast-growing, climbing, somewhat woody, robust vine that climbs using tendrils at the end of the inflorescence axes and attains height about 6-10 m tall, occasionally reaching up to 15 m in height. The plant is found growing in  disturbed areas, coastal cliffs, coastal forests, dry to moist lowland forests in warm tropical and subtropical regions, pine rock lands, rock land hammocks, tropical hardwood hammocks, scrub, maritime forests, and swamps, waterways and riparian areas, monsoon vine thickets, rainforest margins, coastal sand dunes, mangrove vegetation, roadsides, waste areas, old gardens and banks of watercourses. The plant prefers near-neutral to alkaline soils with pH of 6.1–7.8, moderately fertile sandy or light soils with moderate moisture level. It is drought tolerant; once established it needs occasional water.

Stem

Stems are puberulent, pentagonal, with many lateral branches. The slender stems climb up or sprawl over other vegetation by means of tendrils that are borne in the leaf forks (axils). They are branched, angular in cross-section, and either hairless (glabrous) or sparsely to densely covered in brownish or reddish hairs (pubescent). Older stems may sometimes become brown and woody towards the base of the plant, while younger stems are reddish-brown or green in color.

Leaves

The alternately arranged leaves are simple and borne on stalks (petioles) 1-5 cm long. These stalks are sometimes slightly winged and have a very small membranous structure (ochrea) 0.2-2 mm long at their base. The leaf blades are 2.5-15 cm long and 2-10 cm wide and are either egg-shaped in outline with broad end at base (ovate), heart-shaped (cordate) or somewhat triangular in shape. The lower ones are usually larger and broader, while the upper ones are smaller and narrower. These leaves may have either entire, wavy (undulate) or bluntly toothed (crenate) margins and the tips are usually pointed (acute? to acuminate apices). They may be hairless (glabrous) or somewhat hairy (pubescent), especially along their veins on their undersides. The leaves are light to dark green in color, have a strongly wrinkled (rugose) appearance, and are lined with a network of veins (they are reticulately veined).

Flowers

Flowers are borne in unbranched, or more commonly branched, clusters at the tips of the branches (in terminal racemes or panicles). These flower clusters are 4-20 cm long and have hairy stalks (puberulent to pilose peduncles) and the flowers are arranged into small groups along the branches (with 1 to 4 flowers in each group). Tips of the flower clusters usually end in a short tendril. Individual flowers are borne on smaller stalks (pedicels) 3-10 mm long and each flower has five ‘petals’ (sepals or perianth segments) that are usually bright pink in color, but may occasionally be white or reddish. These petals are 4-10 mm long and 2-6 mm wide and have entire margins and pointed tips (acute? apices). They also have eight stamens and an ovary topped with three styles and stigmas. Flowering may occur throughout the year, but is most prominent during autumn (i.e. from April to May).

Fruit

The small brown fruit (achenes) are cone-shaped or three-angled and are 8-12 mm long and 4-7 mm wide having shiny appearance. These fruit usually remain hidden within the enlarged and persistent remains of the petals that are 8-20 long and 4-15 mm wide, which turn dull pink and then eventually brown as they age.

Ethno-medicinal uses of Coral Vine

Traditional uses and benefits of Coral Vine

• Leaves are used in Caribbean folk medicine as poultices for boils and swellings.
• Coral Vine has been used in traditional medicine for insulin? is low or not working well. সহজ বাংলা: রক্তে চিনি বেশি থাকার রোগ।" data-rx-term="diabetes" data-rx-definition="Diabetes is a condition where blood sugar stays too high because insulin is low or not working well. সহজ বাংলা: রক্তে চিনি বেশি থাকার রোগ।">diabetes? and low blood pressure and as a heart tonic in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Tea from the leaves is used for hypertension?, insulin? is low or not working well. সহজ বাংলা: রক্তে চিনি বেশি থাকার রোগ।" data-rx-term="diabetes" data-rx-definition="Diabetes is a condition where blood sugar stays too high because insulin is low or not working well. সহজ বাংলা: রক্তে চিনি বেশি থাকার রোগ।">diabetes?, flu and menstrual pains.
• Hot tea prepared from the aerial parts of Coral Vine is used traditionally for the prevention and treatment of cough, sore throat and flu-related pain? in the West Indies.
• It is used as a poultice and locally called ‘riang-riang’ inn Sumatra.
• In the Philippines, an isolated report stated it is used by Ifugao migrants in the foothills of the Sierra Madre for wound closure.
• Root extract has been used to treat asthma, liver and spleen disorders in Nigeria.
• An extract of its leaves and flowers prevent lipid peroxidation.
• Aerial portion of the flowers used in decoction as a cold remedy.
• Decoction of aerial parts used as a remedy for colds and pain? relief.
• In Jamaica, a decoction of aerial parts is traditionally used for the prevention of cough and flu-related pains.
• In Sudan, leaves used for cough and throat constriction.

Culinary Uses

• Leaves and pink flowers are often eaten as cooked vegetables in Thailand.
• In Thailand, the leaves and flowers are dipped in flour, fried and served with vermicelli.
• The flowers are also mixed into omelets.
• Herbal teas are made from the leaves and blossoms.
• Small tubers are edible and are valued in its native area for the nut like flavor.
• Tuberous roots are edible and are consumed by the local populations in famine periods.

Other facts

• Coral Vine is a very good ornamental plant with amenity value.
• The flower inflorescence is used for floral arrangement.
• Its flowers provide a very good source of nectar and pollen, extensively visited by honey bees also visited by a variety of solitary bee species, such as carpenter bees.
• It also provides a light brown-colored honey which has a pleasant aroma and flavor.
• Coral vine (Antigonon leptopus) is regarded as an environmental weed in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia and on Christmas Island.
• Flower clusters are popular for use in flower and foliage arrangements for social functions.
• Mexican Creeper is cultivated as an ornamental vine to climb up, on and over fences, walls, pagodas and arbors to cover them and to create a showy display of foliage and flowers.

References